Beyond the ring, Mary Kom is mother courageous

CHANDIGARH: MC Mary Kom, who etched India's name in Olympics history by winning a bronze in the first-ever women's boxing event, is a "tiger mom" at home.
Not because she is overtly strict, though! Doctors in Chandigarh's medical institute - PGI - say she showed steely resolve while training in Patiala and getting ready for the Games even as her son was undergoing surgery for a heart problem last year.
Doctors recalled how Mary would come to Chandigarh from Patiala, a 70-km drive, between her rigorous practice sessions at Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NIS) to be with her son Khupneivar in PGI and yet remain "calm and composed."
Khupneivar, a three-and-a-half year old then, had to go under the scalpel for an arterial septal valve defect in May last year. That was the period when Mary was training at NIS for the Asian Cup in Beijing with an eye on the London Olympics where women's boxing was included for the first time.
"We could see the mother's concern. Yet, she appeared focused. While taking care of her son, Mary would talk about how confident she was about bringing home a medal," said PGI's cardio-thoracic surgeon Dr Shyam K Singh, who had operated on Khupneivar.
"She did not panic and never created any hassle. We were impressed about how calm she remained while, on one hand, her son was being treated and, on the other, hopes of a billion Indians kept growing as Olympics drew closer," said Dr Singh, who also belongs to Manipur.
As soon as the Asian Cup in Beijing - where she struck gold - ended on May 9 last year, Mary rushed back to India to be with her on May 10, when he was operated upon.
Recounting the struggle beyond the ring, the pugilist's personal secretary Jimmy Leivon said: "She won gold in Beijing and she was in Chandigarh the next day. She chose PGI for treatment of her son so that she could look after him and continue training too."
"It's Mary's resolve that is laudable. She was never apprehensive about her son's health," Dr Singh said.